Decorative arrangement for microphone assemblies

ABSTRACT

A decorative arrangement for microphone assemblies comprises light-reflecting bodies fastened on a separate, preferably flexible, expansible, or elastic normally flat support forming a carrier for the light-reflecting bodies. The support has a conforming fit with that part of the microphone assembly to be provided with the reflective bodies, and is permeable to sound. The support may have a meshlike structure formed of various materials and may also be used as a wind protection for the microphone assembly.

United States Patent Gorike Feb. 15, 1972 54] DECORATIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR 2,623,957 12/1952 Cragg eta] ..179/178 MICROPHONE ASSEMBLIES Des.211 ,6 44 7/1968 Sterkenburg. ..D26/14.7 1,636,107 7/1927 Namiot ..2/300 [72] Inventor: Rudolf Gor1ke,V|enn21, Austrla 799,367 9/1905 Angie. 161/5 X r 1014,460 1/1912 Giroux ..161/7 73 t 11 h ft I 1 Ass'gnee g g'fi fi g'gf' jg' g e Sc a 3,232,017 2/1966 Prusinski et .....52/309 1,943,658 1/1934 Dyckma ..l61/40 [22] Filed: Aug. 25, 1969 FOREIGN PATENTS OR'APPLICATIONS [21 Appl. No.2 852,672

855,972 12/1960 Great Britain ..179/ 179 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary ExaminerPhilip Dier Aug. 28, 1968 Austria ..8365/68 and McGeady I Apr. 21, 1969 Austria ..3851/69 [57] ABSTRACT ['52] U.S.C1 ..l6l/5, 161/7, 161/162, A de ra ive arrangem nt for microphone assemblies com- 179/173 prises light-reflecting bodies fastened on a separate, 51 1 1m. (:1 ..B44r 1/00, D04d 17/04 preferably flexible, expansible, or elastic normally flat pp [58] Field of Search ..161/5, 7, 12, 196, 162; forming a carrier for the light-reflecting bodies- The pp 179/179, 187-188, 178; D26/14 7 has a conforming fit with that part of the microphone assembly to be provided with the reflective bodies, and is perme- [56] References Cited able to sound. The support may have a meshlike structure formed of various materials and may also be used as a wind U I'I' STATES PATENTS protection for the microphone assembly. 2,325,424 7/1943 Rettinger ..179/178 4Claims,3Drawing Figures 4'5" t 5 Q if E 3 T l l .problem has been the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For microphones designed for use on stage or in television programs, and which either are held in the hand or are fastened on a stand, it is often desirable to provide an effect of shining decoration. This is in contrast to microphones used in sound film pictures or in television programs where the microphone should be as inconspicuous as possible.

A problem has been the provision of a suitable support for the decorations, such as light-reflecting bodies, and which support would have a conforming fit with the part of the microphone assembly to be provided with the decorations, and irrespective of the particular shape of such part. Another provision of such a support which is sound permeable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION .This invention relates to the decoration of microphone assemblies and, more particularly, to an improved arrangement of light-reflective bodies, such as ornamental glass stones and the like, on an expansible normally flat separate support which can have a conforming fit with that part of the microphone assembly to be provided with the reflecting bodies.

comprise intersecting groups of threads joined with each other at intersections, as by gluing or welding. A further possibility is the use of a wire netting, milled or punched sheet metal, or a body of foam material.

' Generally speaking, the light-reflecting bodies are imbedded in settings, and webs or fillets connecting these settings with each other form the flat support. These webs or .fillets can comprise rubber or plastic material which can either be elastic or only flexible. The flat support can be formed into an annular band carrier-by uniting ends thereof to each other by sewing, glueing, welding or the like.

Preferably, the normally flat support is made elastic or at least expansible, as thereby the seating of the carrier or the microphone assembly is, in most cases, possible without the provision of any special fastening means. To this end, elastic, or at least expansible, materials can be used to form the normally flat support. Alternatively, through an appropriate shaping of the elements forming the normally flat support, the latter is provided with a certain expansibility or elasticity. Thus, for example, webs joining the settings of the lightreflectedbodies with each other can be made angular or bent, and thereby the flat support can be stretchable. Alternatively, the joining webscan extend, for example, parallel to each other and the settings can be staggered on the joining webs, as a result of which the flat support is stretchable at right angles to the direction of the webs or fillets.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of light-reflective bodies for a microphone as sembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement including an expansible normally flat separate support forming a carrier for the light-reflecting bodies.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement in which the support has a conforming fit with that part of the microphone assembly to be provided with the reflecting bodies.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement in which the support is sound permeable.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement in whichthe support can also serve as wind protection for themicrophone.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are elevational views illustrating different embodiments of the decorative arrangement of the present invention as applied to microphone assemblies.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1, a microphone 1 has a spherical head 2 enclosed by an annular decorative band 3. Band 3 consists of reflecting bodies 4 anchored in settings, and of straight webs 5 as well as angular webs 6 and arched or arc-shaped webs 7. The rectilinear webs or fillets 5 extend axially of band 3, while webs 6 and 7 deviate from rectilinear runs extending circumferentially of band 3. As a result, band 3 is elastically expansible in the circumferential direction while, at right angles to the circumferential direction, it is nonelastic.

Band 3 is formed from the plane flat shape, by uniting together the opposite ends of a strip of the requisite length. No special effort is required to mount band 3 on the microphone head 2 or to remove it therefrom.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the microphone is also covered with a band formed from a flat shape that is elastic in either one or two directions, for example, an elastic fabric 8. The abutting edges of the strip from which the band is formed, and which run or extend axially of the microphone, are joined or united with one another, for example, by sewing. The carrier is covered with glass ornamental stones 4, and it will readily be seen that the spacing of the ornamental stones from each other differs in accordance with the magnitude of the expansion of the fabric 8.

FIG. 3 illustrates a microphone wherein the support or carrier 9 for the light-reflecting bodies 4 need not be expanded for mounting on the microphone. For example, in this case, carrier 9 can have a firm seating on the microphone by means of elastic slight deformation of the microphone throughfillets or the like extending along the interior thereof.

The invention is not limited to the three embodiments illustrated. In particular, the front side of the microphone, also, can be covered with an ornament-studded normally flat carrier. Care must be taken, however, that the flat carrier is suffrciently porous as not to prevent passage of sound waves.

The support or carrier embodying the invention also can serve as a wind protection for the microphone. By the collective term wind protection is meant the prevention, in a microphone, of the noise of streaming air being transmitted to thediaphragm of the microphone. Such moving air currents result, aside from wind, when a person is talking or singing at a short distance from the microphone. Explosively short air current pulses, air gusts, or very low-frequency air fluctuations, especially eddy formations at the perforations of the protective case in front of the microphone diaphragm, stimulate the diaphragm to oscillate. The elastic fabric of the support or carrier of the present invention provides an effective measure of protection against all of these manifestations. The covering of the carrier with ornamental stones does not, in practice, change the effect of the wind protection, because the stones are located at a distance from each other at the outer surface of the carrier.

The invention arrangement can also be pulled over existing wind protection devices, for example, those made of polymethane foam. It is also possible to pull the elastic ornament-studded carrier over a support structure, such as one formed of wire or thermoplastic netting. The light-reflecting bodies can, however, also be mounted on the handle of the microphone, on the microphone cable, or on the microphone stand.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. A decorative arrangement for a microphone assembly comprising an axially extending head having the form of a body of revolution, wherein the improvement comprises an annularly shaped support resiliently fitted to said head and laterally enclosing at least a portion thereof, said support comprising a porous network of intersecting members for affording the passage of sound waves therethrough, said intersecting members comprising a first group and a second group of said members with said first group extending angularly to said second group, at least said members in one of said first and second groups being elastically expansible, and a plurality of spaced light-reflecting bodies being fixed to and extending outwardly from said members of said support for providing projections from said support.

2. A decorative arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said support comprising a nonnally flat section of the network of said members being interconnected at the opposite ends of the section to provide said support with its annular shape.

3. A decorative arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous network of intersecting members is a meshlike formation of an elastic fabric.

4. A decorative arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous network of intersecting members comprises a plurality of axially extending tranversely spaced rectilinear webs, and a plurality of transversely extending axially spaced angularand arched-shaped webs, said angularand arch-shaped webs being elastically expansible.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE C'ERTIFIGATE 05F QQRWITION Dated ary 15v, 1972 Petent N0.

Inventor(s) Rudolf Gorike It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading of the patent, the name of the assignee should read:

-Akustische u-. Kino-Ger'ate Gesellschaft Signed and sealed this 30th day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETC ER, JR. ROBERT GOTT SCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents UsCcMM-DC GOING-P69 fi u.s. sovzmmzm PRINTING OFFICE 1 I909 o-us-su F ORM PO-1050 (10-69) 

1. A decorative arrangement for a microphone assembly comprising an axially extending head having the form of a body of revolution, wherein the improvement comprises an annularly shaped support resiliently fitted to said head and laterally enclosing at least a portion thereof, said support comprising a porous network of intersecting members for affording the passage of sound waves therethrough, said intersecting members comprising a first group and a second group of said members with said first group extending angularly to said second group, at least said members in one of said first and second groups being elastically expansible, and a plurality of spaced light-reflecting bodies being fixed to and extending outwardly from said members of said support for providing projections from said support.
 2. A decorative arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said support comprising a normally flat section of the network of said members being interconnected at the opposite ends of the section to provide said support with its annular shape.
 3. A decorative arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous network of intersecting members is a meshlike formation of an elastic fabric.
 4. A decorative arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous network of intersecting members comprises a plurality of axially extending tranversely spaced rectilinear webs, and a plurality of transversely extending axially spaced angular- and arched-shaped webs, said angular- and arch-shaped webs being elastically expansible. 